Campo Viejo Reserva Tempranillo 2003

©photo by Dave Trieger 2008

This Tempranillo from the Rioja region of Spain is aged in oak for 18 months and in bottle for 18 more. I had originally thought it was 100% Tempranillo, but It's actually a blend of 75% Tempranillo, 15% Graciano, and 10% Mazuelo... it's a deep warm ruby color, with medium body. On the nose are ripe fruits (almost strawberry), a bit of ash and a mild minerality, along with ripe fruits, sour cherry and licorice on the palate. The soft, full finish is excellently balanced, especially when paired with a good homemade pasta with meat sauce and a side of sausage and red and yellow peppers prepared by Jody A. The price for this gem was around $14 at The Wine Room of Forest Hills.

Women of the Vine Cellars Tempranillo Paso Robles 2004

This weekend at The Wine Room of Forest Hills I had the pleasure of meeting Deborah Brenner, author of Women of the Vine and owner of Women of the Vine Cellars.

Women of the Vine Cellars is the first-of-its-kind wine importing and marketing company to unite award winning women winemakers under one label. They create high quality, limited production wines especially hand-crafted for Women of the Vine Cellars. The results truly express the nuances of their worldwide regions and each woman's unique style.

I'm constantly amazed by the diverse results of identical grapes grown in different regions of the world. This typically Spanish wine takes on a totally different aspect of itself, expressed in many ways. Made from 100% Tempranillo grapes and produced by Dorothy Schuler in Paso Robles, it represents one of my favorites from WotV. Aged 2 years in oak and 1 year in Bottle, 14.5% alcohol.



Deep purple opaque colors paint the canvas of this wonderful fruit-forward wine, with backdrops of gorgeous aromas rich in ripe blackberries, cherries, mint and fresh herbs. What follows is a vegetal mid-palate dominated by still more fresh fruit, vanilla and a hint of almond on the long finish. I love this wine! Retails for $40.

5 wines by Cameron Hughes, Then Dinner With Old and New Brunellos

What follows is a post to the snooth.com website made by Gregory Dal Piaz, regarding a tasting of 5 new wines by Cameron Hughes, then a great Italian dinner at Il Corso paired with a half dozen or so bottles of old and new Brunello's di Montalcinio and Chianti's:

The start with Cameron Hughes and the end with Vin Santo

by Gregory Dal Piaz


I had a great afternoon on Sunday as I met with Eric Guido and Dave Trieger in the Snooth conference room to try a line-up from Cameron Hughes. I was really interested in these wines and glad I ended up popping them on Sunday, since I was fortunate to have the time on Monday to go through them again... and as well as they showed on Sunday, they were singing by Monday night.

Just briefly the line-up included;

The "fruit bomb" Campo de Borja that was ok but I can see it being a crowd pleaser
http://www.snooth.com/wine/cameron-hughes-grenache-campo-de-borja-lot-98-2007/

The tough, austere Tempranillo that exploded in the glass by day 2
http://www.snooth.com/wines/cameron%20campo/#cameron+tempranillo:1:0:0:125:sr

The effusively good old vine zin that everyone liked, and I do mean everyone
http://www.snooth.com/wine/lot-86-lodi-zin-80-year-old-vines-2006/

The easy going, soft and plummy Meritage that stayed the course over 2 days
http://www.snooth.com/wine/cameron-hughes-lot-72-napa-valley-meritage-2005/

The classic Napa Cabernet, rugged yet polished with excellent cellaring potential, a killer value!
http://www.snooth.com/wine/cameron-hughes-lot-72-napa-valley-meritage-2005/

We then went out for a great dinner and met up with Dave's friend Allen, and Ben Goldberg for a fine repast including Tuscan delights!

We began with a pair from Chianti, the 1990 Badia a Coltibuono Chianti Classico and the San Giusto a Rentennano Chainti Classcio Riserva.
http://www.snooth.com/wine/badia-a-coltibuono-chianti-classico-1990/
http://www.snooth.com/wine/san-giusto-rentennano-chianti-classico-riserva-1990/

The Riserva was a finer wine, fleshier and rounder though the Badia a Coltibuono was just so ready, so transparent and peaking that I found it irresistible. I have a soft spot for catching wines at their peak and it was an itch that this bottle scratched!

We followed these up with a pair of Brunello;

http://www.snooth.com/wine/col-dorcia-brunello-di-montalcino-1990/
http://www.snooth.com/wine/azienda-agricola-la-torre-brunello-di-montalcino-2001/

The Col d'Orcia was beautiful, almost fully resolved with remarkable freshness and detail, a bottle I could spend all day with. The La Torre on the other hand had just entered it's drinking window and should ultimately prove to be a better bottle than the Col d'Orcia, in some 10 years or so. Perfectly rich and ripe with great balance and structure it was a delight to try.

We ended the reds with a pair of youngsters, both still in the flush of youth.
http://www.snooth.com/wine/fattoria-dei-barbi-brunello-di-montalcino-riserva-2003/
http://www.snooth.com/wine/nando-chianti-classico-riserva-2004-3/

Both still benefited from the ample baby fat of youthful fruit, The Nando was a rich, oaky, fruit filled Chianti destined for early consumption while the Barbi offered good depth in a difficult vintage with just a touch of the tough tannins that so many wines of the vintage carry.

Finally with a nice array of dessert we shared a bottle of Vin Santo
http://www.snooth.com/wine/felsina-vin-santo-1990/

It was a gorgeous wine, rich yet balanced, complex yet fresh, absolutely smashingly good and much better than my last bottle. The finish was both lingering and ethereal. Hauntingly good stuff and worth the admittedly high tariff.

And that was it, the end to another Snooth dinner. Intimate and friendly, joining friends new and old. I enjoyed the wines, the discussions and the chance to spend some time with fellow Snooth members.

Until the next time...

Cheers,

Greg

Bodegas Arzuaga Navarro La Planta Ribera del Duero Tempranillo Spain 2007

This Tempranillo by Bodegas Arzuaga Navarro from Ribera del Duero in Spain 2007 ... wafts of smoky bubble gum, toasted wood, jammy, dusty, cola and very fruit forward. Had this one at a new Turkish wine bar called Pierre Loti on Irving and around 17th street. It was $46 a bottle but can probably buy retail at around $10. This will be my first entry via twitter.

Bodega Numanthia Termes Tempranillo 2006

The Spaniards of the region call it Tinta de Toro (Tempranillo). Hailing from Valdefinas, in the Toro region of Spain this wine has full, muscular body and a viscosity that complements its creamy texture. Dark purple rose in color and weaving aromas of black currants, violets, licorice and caramel. The bouquet blends into a palate of plums and dark chocolate, all working to create a soft but supple wine with a long dusty finish... very well balanced tannins & acidity. This retails for about $29, and I understand it can be cellared for at least another 10+ years.

Recommended to me by Eric Guido, searched online and found at Cabrini Wines.

Man of Numanthia

Recently, I had the pleasure of attending a dinner at Geoffrey Zakarian’s The Lambs Club in NYC with Estate Director Manuel Louzada, from Bodega Numanthia, to introduce three different vintages of Termes, Numanthia and Termanthia.

Born in Portugal, Louzada lived in Spain for ten years, where he developed a love for the sea as well as a more introspective way of looking at life. He studied agriculture, engineering, and agronomy and eventually returned to Portugal where he set to work making Port wine. In 1999 he moved to Argentina to make sparkling wines for Bodegas Chandon where the focus is on detail.

His three year plan, turned into nine, and he eventually moved to Numanthia in Spain in 2008. “Character and concentration are the trademarks of the Toro region wines, and we want to be truthful to soul of the wines,” notes an enthusiastic Louzada.

Numanthia was founded in 1998, and in 2006 the partners sold to Moet Hennessey. Some of the uniqueness of Toro wines is rooted in the fact that some of its vines are 60 to 200 years old.

I asked Manuel, how his experience with Port and Champagne influenced his winemaking…

“The influence of Port is about character -- it’s about power,” says Louzada. “It’s about trying to understand the massive strength of nature. When you taste Port wine for the first two years, I can assure you it’s not a very pleasant sensation, because of the alcohol, because of the amount of tannins, because of the fruitiness that seem overwhelming. What makes the big difference is the development of understanding of those powerful details.”

“Champagne on the other hand is the opposite. It’s how a single 1%, 2%, 3% of the most delicate wine makes such a big difference, so it’s about small details; it’s how the small percentages change the character of a wine. Blending it was a beautiful exercise, because when you taste base wines, whatever you have in thebase wine, good or bad, is going to be multiplied by a thousand because of the carbonic. So I had a lot of fun learning about, and making sparkling.”

“When blending Termanthia I had to choose between 22 or 23 barrels -- deciding which of the 20 I’m going to use-- there anything more detailed than that? You have to be able to figure out how to get to the picture you have in your head.”

Tinta de Toro

The Spaniards of the region call it Tinta de Toro (Tempranillo). A typical Tempranillo will usually display a full, muscular body and a viscosity with dark purple colors woven with aromas of black currants, violets, licorice and caramel. The bouquet may blend into a palate of plums and dark chocolate, all working to create a soft but supple wine with a long dusty finish... the better ones are a very nice balance of tannins & acidity.

A Quick Study of the 3 Vintages

The Termes 2007 was a warm vintage with elegant and delicate tones, while the 2008 Termanthia was a more traditional vintage with a beautiful combination of fresh fruitiness and tannic structure and concentration, with 2009 presenting yet another warm vintage concentration, highlighting extremely soft tannins. Louzada explains that some wines can be drinkable upon release but can be equally palatable in 30 years.

Tasting Notes and Pairings

Termes 2009

The first up is the Termes 2009... 100% hand harvested, 4 months in stainless steel tanks, then aged in French oak barrels for 14-16 months. (The 2008 was expressly fresh fruit, while the 2009 was slightly warmer vintage like 06, 03 with a level of intensity, and lots of character). Aromas of raspberry, strawberry, fruity, sweet lush tannins, lively vibrant fruit character. nice structure, toasted, cedar, layered juicy texture on palate. Paired beautifully with Beef Carpaccio with Piquillo Pepper, Egg and Jamon Serrano, delicate nuances, which rounds out the tannins. SRP $30


Numanthia 2007

Numanthia 2007, 100 year old vines, 18 months in French oak, more concentration, more complexity in the fruit, more aging, 100% new oak, a bit toastier and spicier, so you can feel the intensity of power and remarkable balance. On the palate, dark chocolate, cassis and spice. Paired with Veal Chop, Soubise, Summer Squash. SRP $60


Termanthia 2008

"Termanthia 2008 is a the expression of a single plot that is 120-140 year old vines, and explosion of fruit fresh cherries, like a bomb, complex so everything that we do has to be the most delicate winemaking technique to try to dominate that force, that strength of nature. Hand de-stemmed, crushed by foot, twice thru new barrels." Paired with Lamb Loin with Stuffed Piquillo Peppers and Eggplant. Can be aged for 30 years. SRP $200

Navarro Marco Real Tempranillo 2005

This big red Tempranillo from the Navarro region of Spain has deep red colors, and strong meaty aromas with strawberries, dried cherries and earthtones. A bit high on the acidity, with flavors of V8 juice, raspberry, spice, dried herbs and leather.


Finish is very dry, with strong tannins, 14% alcohol content and $9.99/bottle in NYC. A bit tight when first opened, next day a little better, drank this on it's own, might be better with food like a roast chicken dish.

Cameron Hughes Wine

This past Sunday Greg Dal Piaz from snooth.com had a sampling of some of the new Cameron Hughes wines. Here's their website's mission statement:

With an obsession for quality and innovation, Cameron Hughes Wine, founded by Cameron Hughes and partner Jessica Kogan, is dedicated to building a reputation for delivering the best domestic and international wine values in the marketplace today. Our focus is on buying at the high-end, small available 'Lots' of super premium wine. Because not all wine at the high-end is bottled, we rescue those 'Lots' do some stylistic blending and get it to you at a great price.

Our company produces and markets wine under Cameron Hughes Lot Series, Hughes-Wellman, RockRidge, and Evergreen. We do not own vineyards or ferment wine. Our business model is built around what we call in the industry the “spot” market for super/ultra premium bulk wines. Essentially, what this means in plain English is that we eliminate the middlemen. We use our own palates as guides to deliver delicious, super premium wine that is easily accessible price and style-wise.

Our company is founded on the concept that excellent wine should be available at a value price. We know that it’s hard for the wine lover to know how to navigate the scores, prices and hype about wine out there. By working with vineyards around the globe we bring our customers the finest values and new exciting wines that give them the unique status of truly being "wine insiders."

Sounds to me like a way to get really good wines for very low prices. I believe if purchased by the case (mixed) the average price per bottle is $10. I had the chance to try 5 red wines from Cameron Hughes new "LOTS":

Lot 98, a 2007 Campo De Borja 60% Grenache/30% Syrah/10% Mourvedre blend from Spain: 14% alcohol, jammy acohol on the nose, palate of cherries, pepper, black fruits and oak, mild tannins.

Lot 93, a 2004 Tempranillo from Spain: Deep purple, ultra fruity nose very nice aromas of violets and flowers and red cherries/ red fruit on the palate, really nice.

Lot 86, a 2006 Lodi Zinfandel from California: Nose: warm, wood, jammy on the sweet side of dry, juicy and chewy, also very nice.

Lot 72, a 2005 Meritage from California: Nose: sweet, earthy aromas with a Bordeaux model.

Lot 75, a 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa California:, Nose: oak, Fig Newtons (Eric G called it), raisins, slightly bitter on the palate.

All were very good, my 2 standout favorites were the Spanish Tempranillo and the California Zinfandel.

Marques De Riscal Tempranillo Reserva 2005, Rioja Spain

In 1858 Herederos de Marqués de Riscal became the first winery in the Rioja to produce wines following the Bordeaux method of slow fermentation and careful blending. This 2005 is hand picked using only the best grapes of the vintage made from 90% Tempranillo with a 10% blending of Mazuelo & Graciano, and aged in American oak barrels for 2 years before bottling for a year before release, thereby softening the tannins a bit.

Deep purple rose colors, with beautiful swirls of umami, tobacco, dark black cherry, spice and a balsamic note on the nose. The palate echoes its spicy nature along with the cherries, but now the cherries are showing a smoky earth, violets and ripeness, and spreading the finish evenly to the back of the tongue in a wave of warmth. And the finish goes on for a good distance.

Depending on where you live you should be able to find a bottle for between $15 and $20 and it can be cellared for at least another 10 years. Alcohol by volume: 13.5%

Winemaker's notes:
A dark cherry color with good depth. Balsamic aromas with hints of ripe fruit, complex and spicy. The attack is fresh and light, with soft, rounded tannins. The finish proves persistent with some reminders of toasted oak. Its passage through the mouth is pleasant and elegant, fresh and easy to drink.

Bodegas Vizcarra JC Vizcarra 2011

From Ribera del Duero in Spain, this 100% Tempranillo is aged in French & American oak (half new and half two years old) for 15 months. Purple ruby colors, clean, primary aromas of raw wood, vegetal, earth and barnyard. Nice acidity, fresh flavors of chocolate and licorice, palate overpowers aromas, beautiful finish, smooth tannins. Pairs well with red meat, but would be greatly improved with a little aging. $33

Condesa De Leganza Crianza 2004 Spain

From La Mancha region of Spain, Tempranillo is a beautiful grape with definite style, and this one displays deep purple/ruby tones and aromas of dark berries, spices and a hint of powdered sugar. The round flavors are revealed clearly with a textured suppleness and lively almost chewy character, and finish with elegance and a confident smoothness.

This bottle was brought to the table by my friend Brendan and was tasted along with Costieres de Nimes from France.

Campo Viejo Rioja Crianza 2007

I've tried this Crianza from Spain's Rioja region from many vintages and always enjoyed it immensely. The grapes used here are a blend of 85% Tempranillo, 10% Garnacha and 5% Mazuelo that is aged for 12 months in barrel before bottle aging for another 12. Dark ruby colors with earthy aromas marrying with cherries, plum and vanilla and completing the circle with toasted oak. $10.

Cameron Hughes Lot 143 Howell Mountain Napa Valley Cabernet 2007

More tasting notes from the Snooth California Cabernet Sauvignon Blind Tasting earlier this month. Made from 90% Cabernet, 6% Tempranillo, 4% Syrah... on the nose chocolate, cherry cola, cassis, violets, super dry on the palate but with cedar, cigar box and ripe black fruits, and a floral note, nice acidity, short to medium finish.

Hughes notes:
In this economic environment, more and more wineries are presenting their wines to us, so one could say that as the economy gets worse, our selection gets better. Lot 143 is one of the first acquisitions of Sam Spencer, (our new wine maker) after originally bringing us Lots 1 and 2 back in 2003. Sam has focused on stepping outside of traditional brokerage channels to find the upper-echelon wines that tiptoe around the frenzy of the wine-sourcing market.

This lot in particular has been nothing less than mind-blowing. It comes from a $95 per bottle program, so with a little fine-tuning by Sam, becomes one of the best wines we offer at $22 per bottle. We just submitted it for reviews and should have the results by the end of 2009. I would be shocked if it scored anything less than 92 points. The grower group responsible for this wine has consistently scored in the mid 90s and with 2007 being one of the best years that Napa has seen, making this wine truly exceptional.

Arbanta Rioja "Llorens" 2008

My next selection by the glass at The Ten Bells was this Tempranillo from Spain's Rioja region which perfectly offset the saltiness of a chorizo tapas plate. A small production, (non-certified) organic wine, fermented in stainless steel, It is very balanced with aromas of dried flowers, spices, mineral and cigar box, followed by flavors of perfumed cherries, and a good solid structure.

Avalon California Cabernet Sauvignon 2004

Even though this red wine from California is labeled Cabernet Sauvignon, upon further research I found that it is in fact a blend of 78% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Syrah, 4% Merlot and 1% Tempranillo. Aged for 8 months in French and American oak barrels, it has smoke and cedar aromas with blueberry, plum, cherries and a hint of chocolate. On the finish there is a spice and vanilla on the palate. This is a decent every day Cab and can be found in the $8 range. 13.5% alcohol.

Conde De Romanones Reserva 2003 Marques de Camp Noble

Here are some more tasting notes on the Vanguard style wines from Spain offered at La Rioja Wine Seminar last week. As far as I can tell this is 100% Tempranillo grapes aged for 18 months in new French oak barriques and at least another 18 months in bottle before release. The aromas are very funky like an earthy underbrush and sour cherry. On the palate are mushrooms, and, freshly dug earth.

La Montesa Palacios Remondo 2004

From what the folks at La Rioja Wine Seminar call their Vanguard Signature Series, this red wine from Spain is a blend of 40% Granacha, 35% Tempranillo, 15% Mazuelo, and 10% Graciano aged 12 months in barrel, and contains 14.1% alcohol. It’s color is a ruby red with good complexity-- on the nose—there’s an earthy, fruity, smoky barnyard aroma and on the palate fresh ripe cherries, raspberry, and toasted chocolate. The combination of funky aromas and bright fruity flavors made for an impressive contrast.

Leese-Fitch Cabernet Sauvignon 2009 California at 1st Wine Society of Queens Meet-up

The first meetup of The Wine Society of Queens was held this weekend at The Wine Room of Forest Hills, where we sampled over a dozen new wines from California, France, Argentina, Italy, Spain and even Georgia (Russia). One of my favorites was the Leese-Fitch Cab and here are some tasting notes:

I know the label says Cabernet Sauvignon, in reality what you get is an amazing blend of 86% Cabernet Sauvignon from Paso Robles, 5% Syrah from River Junction, 5% Tempranillo from Moneterey, with Lodi contributing the 2% Alicante Bouchet, and 2% Petite Sirah.

Very attractive aromas of cassis infused with intense cherry liquore, sarsaparilla and black currants, flavors are floral influenced and herbal on the back palate. At the tail end hints of tea leaves, bits of cedar, milk chocolate and roasted marshmallow finish off nicely. This is a great bargain at $15.

Bodegas Riojanas Puerta Vieja Crianza 2007 Rioja

From La Rioja region of Spain, Bodegas Riojanas produces this Crianza, a blend of 80% Tempranillo, 15% Mazuelo and 5% Graciano aged for 18 months in American oak, followed by six months bottle aging before release.

Dark ruby colors paint a bold picture to prepare for the bright and funky nose showing earth and bramble, dried fruit, cured meat, black cherries and spice... while the palate expresses bold signs of umami, coconut, dried cherries and earth. Easy tannins and acidity with a surefooted balance that makes this a real find at around $11. What a complex wine for the price?!

Definitely a food wine that works really well with red meat or sauces. Don't miss this one!

Bodegas y Vinedos Fernandez Rivera Dehesa la Granja 2003

This tempranillo from Spain is dark, smoky red with bouquet of cassis, cocoa and cured meats, and an even structure, while the intense ripeness of the concentrated, spicy flavors make this a sexy, lively wine, almost zoftig in nature.